Gone Fishing
by Gottaluvit
Summary: Dick decides a fishing trip is a great idea. He invites Roy and Wally...Lian invites herself.
1. Chapter 1

This is my attempt to answer this challenge Robin posted at Bludhaven-

**National Catfish Month  
**- Fishing stories. A fish fry. Tempest and/or Aquaman stories?  
**  
Title-** Gone Fishing.

**Summary**- Dick decides a weekend of fishing is just the thing he needs to unwind, he invites Roy and Wally along...Lian invites herself.

**Note-** I've loosely set this in cannon somewhere after the events of JLA 11 and Outsiders Five of a Kind 1 (NW and Boomerang jnr issue) so some mild spoilers for those issues.

**DC owns Dick, Roy, Wally and Lian as well as other characters mentioned by name in this work of fan fiction.**

**Part 1 of 4**

It's late and Roy's a little annoyed as he checks to see who's buzzing his doorbell. The annoyance fades the moment he see's the dark haired man waiting patiently to be let in-this visit from Dick is unexpected but he's happy to see his best friend. They don't see enough of one another these day's. He pulls the door open and grins at the acrobat "Well, would'ya look at what the cat dragged in!"

Dick grins back gives his friend an affectionate thump on the shoulder. His smile fades a little as he frowns at the week old bruises that have faded to yellow and brown on the archers face. "Man, get a load of you. You're a mess!"

Roy rolls his eyes. "Well hello to you too, Short Pants."

Dicks grin returns. "Oh, yeah. Hello Roy."

The red-head chuckles and waves the acrobat inside. "Get your butt in here Robbie." He leads the way towards the kitchen. "Wanna a beer?"

Dick shakes his head as he crosses the room to lean casually against the kitchen counter. He snatches an apple out of the fruit bowl and polishes in on his shirt before deciding he really doesn't want it, and putting it back. "Coffee?"

"Spoil sport." Roy reaches for the pot that already has freshly brewed coffee in it and pours out two mugs of the steaming liquid…

Dick pulls out one of the stools Roy has at his counter and sits. "Got patrol later, won't do to be slurring my words when I'm trying to be the epitome of the cool, bad-ass vigilante…."

"Or stumbling off the edge of rooftops and turning into a splatter on the pavement." Roy adds with a chuckle as he removes the milk from the fridge and pours some into each mug.

Dick laughs, "That too." He accepts the mug that's pushed towards him and reaches for the sugar bowl. "You look like a building fell on you."

"One did."

Dick nods, "I heard." He spoons the sugar into his coffee, stirs vigorously and then indicates Roy's bandaged right hand. "Healing okay?"

Roy holds the hand up and wriggles his fingers to show it's not as bad as it looks. "Yeah, yeah. Luckily there's no tendon damage." He takes a sip of coffee, winces at the taste and adds another spoon of sugar. "I spent a couple of days at Ollie's. You know, just catching my breath a bit. Having Mia and Connor around for Lian was good…" He chuckles and shakes his head… "…but Ollie…man, he's a pain in the butt."

"I thought you two were getting along pretty good lately?" Dick slides off the stool and follows Roy out to the living room.

Roy sits down in the arm chair and waits until Dick settles on the sofa. "Oh, yeah, we are. I mean he's good…He's just…." He frowns down at his cup. "He worries is all. He stresses the hell out of me with all his fussn, and then, when I get antsy about him crowding me, he tells me _I _need to de-stress a bit." he takes a sip of his coffee and shakes his head. "I'm telling you, I was glad to get back home."

Dick's quiet for a minute, trying to picture a fussing' Oliver Queen. He remembers there was a time when Roy's mentor could have done a whole lot more worrying about his friend. "So…"

Roy looks puzzled. "So?"

"How's the princess?" Dick asks casually.

Roy's smiles and his eyes sparkle happily as they always do when thinking about his daughter.

"Good…Asleep thankfully. It took me six bed time stories to get her there though. She's been…clingy."

"I'm not surprised." and Dick isn't. Lian's growing up fast. She's almost lost her father before she's beginning to understand just how dangerous the job they do is.

"So, what? You just come to check on me, or is this a business' call." Roy asks, steering the topic towards more comfortable conversation.

"Nope, no business. I came to show you these." Reaching into the pocket of his jeans Dick pulls out two crumpled photographs. He leans towards Roy and points out the cabin that sits nestled under palm trees in the picture. "Bruce bought it a couple of weeks ago." He explains. "The town it's near is pretty small and the cabin is right on the beachfront of one of the more secluded beaches in the area. It's quiet, only the occasional fisherman to contend with."

Roy looks closely at the pictures. "Yeah? Nice."

Dick smiles. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"You have some downtime. I've got no pressing cases at the moment. Figure I've got a few days off coming to me since I don't have the Outsiders wearing me thin…."

Roy's eyebrows rise as what Dick is asking finally sinks in. "Wa-aait a minute. Just wait one dang minute. You're saying we should…what? Go fishing, swimming…relax…take some time out to unwind, like, you know, real people? You. Mister workaholic-never-need-time-off cause I was raised by the…"

"Don't say it." Dick growls, but there's laughter in his voice. "…and yeah, I'm saying I have a couple of days I can spare, and I was hoping to spend that time with my best fiends."

"Friends? You asked Wally too. Cool!"

"Yeah I asked him. He's not going to spend the time with us; he's still getting the family settled in after everything that's happened. However he's going to run down, and join us on Sunday."

"Better then nothing I s'pose. Besides, having an old married man tagging along the whole time might be a drag when we find ourselves some babes.

Dick snorts softly in amusement, drains the last of his cup and reaches over to sit it on the coffee table.

Roy's already decided he likes this idea. "Hmm, babe watching, swimming, fishing …."

"Fishing, _YAAAY_!"

"Hey! Young lady you're supposed to be asleep." Roy scolds his daughter as she races into the room.

"I heard Uncle Dick talking. I wanted to see Uncle Dick." Lian explains, tucking her toy floppy rabbit under her arm and scrambling up onto Dick's lap. She turns to look at the acrobat expectantly. "Where are we going fishing Uncle Dick? Can I catch a fish too? I like fishies…"

Roy tries to think fast, he pretty sure a five year old girl tagging along is going to curb some of the plans for the weekend that have already begun to blossom in his mind. "Lian…Princess. I'm not sure if…"

Lian's oblivious to anything her father has to say, it hasn't crossed her mind that she may not be going, her eyes are shining happily as she hugs her Uncle. "Daddy likes fishing. But we hafta let the fishies go after we catch them, so Uncle Garth won't get sad. We will let them go when we catch them, won't we Uncle Dick?"

Dick can't help grinning at her, she's so darned cute when she's happy and she's talking in that high pitched animated little voice she gets when she's really, really excited. He hugs her back, and ruffles her hair. "Sure we will sweetheart. Catch and release, that's what everyone does these days."

Roy frowns, still trying to think of a way to get a child free weekend. "Baby girl, you know Aunt Dinah and Sin would love to have you st…."

Lian grows still. "You don't want me to go?" The enthusiasm seems to drain from the little girl, she looks at her father with big brown eyes that are beginning to well with tears.

Roy's heart twists in his chest and the hopes of any kind of weekend dalliance with the fairer sex suddenly dissipates with the sorrowful eyes that look up at him. "I…"

"No, no princess, that's not it…" Dick soothes, he can't bear to hear the sad confusion in the little girl's voice. "Your dad just thought you might want to visit Dinah and Sin instead of hanging out with us boys."

"But I like hanging out with boys." Lian replies, cuddling into Dick's chest and blinking pleading eyes at her father.

"Oh no you don't!" Roy mumbles seriously.

Lian hears, and her reply is indignant and determined with traces of Harper stubbornness. "Yes I do."

Dick shifts the little girl so that he can look into her eyes. He gives her a reassuring smile and makes the decision that Roy is obviously on the verge of making anyway. "Lian…sweetheart, I'm sure you dad would love to have you come us."

The slightest smile twitches at the corners of the little girl's cherubic lips, she's pretty sure that she has Dick on her side with this. She looks over at her father hopefully. "Would you daddy?"

Roy looks over at the faces looking back at him expectantly. He throws Dick a 'you're a traitor' look, before sighing in defeat. "Sure Etai yazi, it'll be fun."

"YAAAYY!!!" Lian squeals in delight, she launches forward and wraps her tiny arms around Dick's neck and hugs tight, "I'm going fishing! Thank you Uncle Dick! _Thank you thank you thank you_!


	2. Chapter 2

-2-

Its barely breaking light when Roy is woken by a small body leaping onto the bed beside him. Roy may be worn-out from the late afternoon sightseeing they engaged in when they arrived in the day before, but Lian certainly isn't.

"C'mon daddy get up. It's daytime already…" She tugs on his arm, "We hafta build sandcastles and collect shells and Uncle Dick is gonna climb that coconut tree and get me a coconut and…." talking non-stop and determined to get her fathers attention, Lian scrambles over him oblivious to the sharp intake of breath he gives as one small, boney knee connects painfully with one of his more sensitive body parts.

Roy groans, rolls onto his side and curls into a ball to protect his vital assets from further assault and pulls the pillow over his head trying to block out the excited chatter coming from his little girl.

Lian's not easily distracted from her intention of having him get up, she grabs a handful of pillow and begins tugging hard. "Daa-dy. Get up." she whines, pouting as she plops back onto her bottom when her hold on the pillow slips

"Ten more minutes. Just give me ten more minutes' princess….._Please_?"

There's a delighted squeal from the little girl and Roy feels the bed shift as her weight leaves it. He pulls the pillow back just enough to crack one eye open and stare gratefully up at Dick who is engaged in a tickle attack on the little girl that now hangs upside down in the acrobats arms.

Dick's laughing almost as much as Lian is when she calls through the giggle fit for him to stop. He helps her to climb upright in his arms, grins at her and gives into the temptation to plant a kiss on her forehead, before he turns to her father who is watching with sleepy bemusement. He nods at the red-head. "You have your ten minutes…and I own your soul."

Roy gives a sleepy chuckle. "You can have it man, I've used up all the brownie points and what's left ain't worth owning."

"The young lady and I shall be breakfasting on the beach." Dick say's in his best 'Alfred' voice as he leaves the room.

"And climbing coconut trees to get me coconuts." Lian chimes in happily.

"Thanks man." Roy mumbles. His words go unheard the door closes behind them as they leave.

Ten minutes later Roy is blissfully asleep and Dick and Lian are sitting on the beach eating a bowl full of Cocoa Puffs each and basking in the early morning sun.

"Are we gonna go fishing today Uncle Dick?"

"At some stage princess."

"At what stage Uncle Dick?"

"I'm not sure. We'll have to see what your dad says when he wakes up."

"Yeah, daddies real tired isn't he?"

"A bit. We did a lot of walking yesterday, and you…" Dick playfully presses the little girl's nose with his pointer finger. "…had lots of piggy-back rides to wear your dad out."

"I know. Also, I heard Uncle Ollie."

Dick frowns "Uncle Ollie?"

"Yeah. When we were staying at Uncle Ollie's house daddy and Uncle Ollie were in the den talking…." Lian's brow creased in concentration. "I think daddy was cranky cause he sounded cranky. Sometimes Uncle Ollie just tries his patience" she shrugged, missing the grin on Dick's face at her choice of words that sounded exactly like something her father would say. "I don't know why…but anyway, I heard Uncle Ollie say daddy needs to stop stressing and go get laid or something…Get laid means lay down and have a rest doesn't it Uncle Dick?

Dick snorted, turned a little red as his brain stumbled for the right answer, then lied."Uh…yeah sweetheart. That's exactly what it means."

"That's probably why he doesn't want to get up early."

"Probably." deciding to quickly change the subject, Dick picked up the empty bowls.

"Tell you what, let's put these in the sink and go get ready to take a stroll along the beach."

"And get more shells. Yeah babe!"

"Oh look Uncle Dick, this one has a little star on it!" Lian cries excitedly as she holds up a small round shell.

Dick drops to one knee beside her and takes her hand in his as he inspects her find. "It's called a sand dollar' Lian."

The little girl looks puzzled. "A sand dollar? Why's it called that? It doesn't look like a dollar."

"Well, some people say it's the money mermaid's use." Dick explains.

Lian frowns as she studies the sand dollar carefully. "Uncle Garth never told me that mermaids use money."

Dick sits down beside the five year old. He stretches his legs out in front of him and wriggles his bare feet to shake some of the sand from between his toes. "Well, it's up to a person's imagination if they want to think that's what they are."

Lian leans against Dicks shoulder, still fascinated with the sand dollar. "What are they really?"

"Their real name is, Echinarachnius parma and they're related to sea urchins and starfish."

Lian's brow furrows in concentration. "Echi…echi…"

"Echinarachnus parma." Dick repeats slowly, and he can't help grinning at the look on the little girls face.

Lian rolls the creatures name around in her head for a minute. She makes a couple of small movements with her mouth, just trying to get the feel of the words--then says, "You're silly Uncle Dick!"

"_Who's silly_?"

With a start Lian looks up at the man who has seemingly appeared out of nowhere. "UNCLE WALLYYYYY!"

"Hey squirt!" Wally laughs as he suddenly finds himself with an armful of five year old girl.

"UNCLE WALLY, UNCLE WALLY….I missed you heaps!"

"Ditto short stuff."

"Hey buddy…" Dick pushes himself to his feet brushing off the sand from his jeans he'd rolled up into makeshift shorts. "I thought you couldn't make it till tomorrow?"

"Well that was the plan." Wally grinned and pressed his nose to Lian's. .."Twins came down with chicken pox, Linda's had it…" He looked at Dick and shrugged. "I haven't, so Linda chased me."

Lian is so excited, she can't stay still and a rapid flow of questions spill from her. "Are you coming fishing, Uncle Wally? We're going fishing. I'm gonna catch a big fish, but I'm gonna let it go again. Are you going to catch a fish too? Uncle Dick brought fishing rods and all kids of stuff. We can go now. Let's go now…" the little girl wriggles out of Wally's arms and starts to run down the beach.

"Whoa, slow down Princess. Let's talk to your father first." Dick calls out.

The dark-haired angel returns, takes hold of Wally's hand in one of hers, and Dick's in the other and determinedly tugs them along behind her as she heads back the way she just came. She marches towards the cabin and pouting disapprovingly as she tries to hurry the men along. For the fastest man alive her Uncle Wally sure walked slowly.

Wally chuckles at her enthusiasm and glances over at Dick who's fallen into step beside them grinning happily. "So, where is Roy anyway?"

Lian is quick to answer. "He's getting laid Uncle Wally."

She frowns as she's jerked to a sudden stop and glares over her shoulder at the two men who are making strange choking sounds. "_Fishing_." she reminds them in a frustrated voice.


	3. Chapter 3

-3-

"It's windy out here, Daddy." Lian says from her perch on her fathers shoulders.

"Sure is, princess" Roy agrees, holding onto one of his daughter's feet to keep her securely balanced as he strides towards the end of the pier. "Stay away from the edge sweetheart, I don't want to have to jump in after you if you fall." He instructs as he helps her climb off his shoulders. He looks back towards their companion who's struggling along behind them carrying, fishing rods, a miniature deck chair and other items necessary for the day of fishing they have planned. "Hurry up short pants!"

Dick staggers to a stop a short distance from the redhead and lets most of the items fall with a clatter onto the pier. "You could have helped me with some of this stuff you know?" He gives the archer an annoyed glare and sets up the deck chair--a small pink one with fairies on the back of it.

"I was carrying the princess. Besides I'm still injured." Roy states indignantly.

Dick shakes his head "You said youre hand was almost better." He places the little pink deck chair a safe distance from the edge and nods to Lian. "Here you go sweetheart. This is the safe spot okay? Stay close to here and away from the edge."

"We've already talked about not falling in. And almost better isn't……"

A sudden breeze interrupts and Wally appears holding a small bag and a package wrapped in newspaper. "I got beach worms and minnows, and the old dude at the bait shop said there's been a lot of squid caught off here lately so he sold me this…" He opens the small bag and takes of a bright fluorescent pink object…"

"Oh, that's pretty." Lian chirrups instantly interested. "What is it Uncle Wally?"

"It's for catching squid kiddo. The old guy said you throw it out, let it sink for a bit then slowly jig' it back in."

Dick looks up from setting up his own fishing line. "He show you how to do it?"

"Sort of." Wally replies as he picks up one of the fishing rods and begins to attach the lure to the line.

Roy watches as Wally ties the knot. "It'll slip off if you tie it like that."

Wally gives a small snort. "I know how to tie a fishing knot Roy."

Roy frowns. "Then why aren't you tying it properly?

"I am…" Wally begins, only to have a determined Roy interrupt.

"_No_, you're not. You're supposed to loop then twist, then tuck it….."

Wallys feeling indignant. Hes done this heaps of times before. "You think I haven't been fishing before? I know what I'm doing arrow breath."

"Sure doesn't look that way." Roy grumbles and then, unable to resist any longer he grabs at the lure. "Here, lemme show you."

Wally takes a step farther away and holds the lure out of the archers reach. "Back off, Harper." He growls.

The growl is enough to warn Dick he needs to intervene. "Roy, let Wally tie the darn thing!"

"Fine, don't come bit…um…" Roy glances at his daughter. "…complaining to me when you lose the thing." He mutters as he skulks off down the pier and makes a show of inspecting some of the boats moored to the side.

"Do you think you'll catch a squiddy, Uncle Wally?" Lian asks.

"Well, I'm sure going to give it a try princess. You'd better sit on your chair while I cast the line, okay?"

"Okay, Uncle Wally." Lian runs to chair and sits down, watching in excited anticipation "_Uncle Wally's gonna catch a squiddy_!"

"Hey check that out." Roy nods at the yacht that's sailing out of the harbor, a couple of bikini clad women are sunning themselves on the deck. One woman waves to the men on the pier. "Woohoo!!…the view just got a whole lot better." The archer walks behind Wally, not taking his eyes off the boat. "YEARGH!!!!"

"What the….??" Wall is shocked as he realizes that it was the back of Roy's head that had interfered with his cast of the line.

"West you idiot!" Roy bellows--the bright pink squid lure firmly embedded behind his ear.

"I'm not the idiot, you _idiot_. Even your kid kept out of the way." Wally stood aside as Dick moved close to inspect the damage.

"You didn't even look…._OUCH _Grayson, don't just rip it out."

"You're the one that didn't look. " Wally shook his head. "Imbecile! "

"Shut up West!"

"Just hold still Roy." Dick instructs as he inspects the lure.

Lian looks concerned. "Here daddy, you can squeeze my hand if it hurts too badly."

"There ya go...Its out." Dick says, handing the lure to Wally. He inspects the small wound on the back of the archers head. "It's not bad." He declares as he removes an antiseptic wipe from his pocket. He opens it and gives the wound a rub to disinfect it.

"OW!" Roy makes sure he throws Wally another glare--just to enforce that he won't be forgetting this very quickly.

"Awww poor daddy!" Lian cries sympathetically, hugging his legs tightly.

"Poor daddy my butt." Wally grumbles as he set about preparing the line again.

"That's _not _very nice Uncle Wally." Lian scolds, coming to her father's defense.

"_Yeah _Uncle Wally." Roy snaps.

Wally remains unsympathetic. "For someone with great marksmanship you'd think you'd be able to watch where you're walking."

"I _was _watching where I was walking. That could'a been my eye or…"

Dick rolls his eyes as the archer and the speedster set of on another round of bickering. "C'mon Lian, lets go catch a fish."

"Yaaay!" Lian is quick to release her father's leg from her embrace and run to her favorite Uncles side.

"Uncle Dick?" The little girl asks, as she comfortably settles in Dicks lap once he has thrown the fishing line out and sat down.

"Yes Lian?"

"Do you think Uncle Wally would teach me to run like he does one day?"

"Not everyone can run like your Uncle Wally can honey, everybody is unique and we all have our own special abilities."

"Are 'special abilities' like super powers Uncle Dick?"

"Sometimes they are and sometimes they aren't, kiddo."

"Do I have a super power?"

Wally, who's finished bickering with Roy, over hears their conversation and chuckles. "You sure do, it's the power of super cuteness."

Lian looks puzzled as Dick presses her nose with his finger. "The power to melt hearts with a single glance." He states.

Roy stops rubbing his head and laughs "Got that right." He says with unhidden paternal pride.

"Lian looks from her Uncle Dick to her father, then to her Uncle Wally, trying hard to understand what they find so amusing. "You're all really silly sometimes." She declares.

"Whoa! Not so silly that I can't catch a squid!" Wally shouts as he reels a small, slimy, white creature in.

Lians reaction is instant. "LEMME SEE LEMME SEE!!!"

Dick has to move quickly to grab the excited five year old before her over exuberance see's her taking the squids place in the ocean. "Slow down, squirt."

"Hang on while I get some water." Roy grabs the bucket they've brought with them and runs down a ramp that branches off the pier onto a pontoon. He drops to his belly and reaches as far as he can over the side to scoop up half a bucket of water before racing back to the others.

Lian watches in excited fascination as Wally drops the little squid into the bucket. She squats down and peers at the creature closely. "Oh...it's got really big eyes."

Equally as fascinated, Wally proudly surveys his catch. "Check out all the tiny spots of color on it, they keep moving and changing."

Roy vies for space between his daughter and his friend to see into the bucket. "I've never see a live one before. They look a whole lot different when they're crumbed and deep fried." He states observantly.

Lian cries, looking up at her father horrified. 

Roy raises both eyebrows. "What? You _like_ calamari."

"I'm never ever eating it again! " Lian declares firmly as she turns back to watch the little creature move slowly in circles. "Can I touch him?"

"Sure you can sweetheart." Dick says, pushing past the other men to kneel beside Lian, he scoops the squid up and holds it out to the five year old.

Lian pets it as Dick holds it up, and then giggles as she its tentacles stick to her finger.

"I'd better put him back in the bucket Lian; he needs to be in the water." Dick drops the squid back, and smiles as Lian reaches into the water and gently begins to stroke the creature.

"He's all soft and slippery." She says in awe.

"I'm gonna catch me one as well." Roy declares as he grabs Wally's discarded fishing rod.

"The twins would love to see this. I might even run it home to show them later." Wally sits down on the pier next to Lian and stretches his legs out in front of him and then drags the bucket over closer to watch his catch.

Lian settles uninvited on her Uncles lap, leaning back against his chest and joining him in watching. "You might catch their chicken pox Uncle Wally, Chicken pox is yucky…Oh…" she bursts into more giggles as she reaches in and the squid wraps its sticky tentacles around her fingers.

Dick returns to his own fishing rod that he had left wound up on the jetty near where Roy is now enthusiastically trying to match Wallys achievement. "I thought you couldn't use that hand much?" He asks as he casts his line back out.

"Well its feeling a lot better now." Roy mutters, frowning at a tangle in the fishing line that has somehow formed on its own accord.

Dick grins as the archers attempts to remove the tangle only makes it much worse. "Oh? Good, in that case you won't mind taking your turn carrying the stuff back when we finish up here then."

Roy frowns down at the huge knot in the line. "Flasharoo is here now, he can have all the…."

"OWWWW!"

Roy spins to face Wally and Lian. Wally is carefully looking at the little girls bleeding finger and Lian is sniffling as tears well in her eye's… Roy drops the fishing rod and hurries to his daughter. "What the hell happened?"

"She…" the speedster finds it hard to talk when he's trying not to laugh.

Roys horrified, he scoops his little girl out of the other redheads arms and hugs her close as he carefully checks out the tiny cut on her finger. "Wally, it's not funny she's bleeding."

"It hurt Uncle Wally!" Lian sniffles.

"I'm sorry kiddo…" Wally clears his throat and composes himself. "Maybe you should tell your father what happened."

Dick has the antiseptic wipes out once more and hes cleaning the tiny wound. "I think so. What did happen princess?"

Lian buries her face in her father's neck. She appears more embarrassed then hurt.

"What happened baby?" Roy prompts.

"Squids got teeth up their butt's daddy." Lian mumbles.

Wally has a difficult time stopping himself from snickering. He knows the little girl isnt really hurt and he cant help but delight in the look on both Roy and Dick's faces.

Dick and Roy exchange puzzled frowns before Roy throws Wally a warning glare that stops his giggle fit. "I'm sorry…What?"

"Squids got teeth up their butt's daddy." Lian whispers a little louder, her cheeks flushed red.

Roy frowns down at Lian's finger. For a moment hes lost for words.

Dick asks what Roys obviously thinking. "Why would you stick your finger up there Lian?"

"I didn't mean to Uncle Dick." Lian sniffles. "I was playing with its testicles…"

"Tentacles" Roy quickly corrects over Wally's renewed burst of laughter.

"Yeah the sticky things, and I put my finger in between them and…and it's butt bited me." There's a mixture of embarrassment and indignation in Lian's voice.

"Wally shut up, this is serious. She's hurt." Roy snaps and hes annoyed at himself as well, he may not have much experience with squid, but he does know they have a sharp beak' that cant be seen very easily. He silently cusses himself for not thinking to warn the little girl that she could be nipped.

Lian's now smiling sheepishly, Wally's laughter is infectious, "Yeah, Uncle Wally."

"Sorry sweetheart." Wally say's with sincerity as he reaches out to ruffle her hair.

Dick busies himself putting a band-aid on Lians finger. "Maybe you should try not to stick your finger anywhere you can't see, Lian." He says with a straight face that would make his mentor proud.


	4. Chapter 4

-final-

"Pizza?"

Wally agrees with Dick. "Yeah, pizza." He scans ahead and spots a pizza restaurant amongst the various café's and eateries that line the sidewalk of the small beachside town.

Roy screws up his face. "Aww man, we can have pizza anytime. We're at the beach, we should have seafood."

"Pizza." Wally repeats. "Dude, you're totally out voted."

Roy is undeterred. "We aren't taking a vote. Seafood man, it's the seaside for crying out loud!"

"Pizza. Three to one. It's pizza eagle eyes." Dick strides purposefully ahead of the others.

"Three to one my butt…" Roy stops walking and crouches down to look into his daughters eyes. "Lian, honey…wouldn't you just love some yummy fish sticks or…."

"Daddy, I'm not _ever _eating fish or squid again. Don't you know they have mommies and daddies too? You shouldn't eat something that has a mommy and a daddy."

Roy briefly considers telling his little girl exactly what the steaks they sometimes have for dinner are made of…but decides she's better off not knowing, he's not in the mood for a lecture on cows having moms and dads too and he's not going to risk having her refuse to eat meat…he likes the stuff too much. "Aww _c'mon_."

Dick grins as he looks back at the archer. "Give it up Roy."

"We can have pizza anytime." Roy whines.

"You can have seafood anytime." Dick insists.

"Not like this. This stuff is fresh off the fishing boats. It's so fresh its still kick…."

Wally takes Lian's hand, ignoring his friends as they begin earnestly debating their evening meal. "Pizza?"

Lian grin's "Yeah Uncle Wally. Pizza!"

"Lets go get some dinner then squirt."

They leave the bickering acrobat and archer behind, and make their way to the pizza restaurant. It's a beautiful night so Wally chooses an outdoor table for them to sit at. He pulls out Lian's chair and tucks her in before sitting down himself.

Lian happily swings her little feet back and forth and watches the tourists that come and go. "Daddy said your babies are big kids now, Uncle Wally." She tells Wally casually.

Wally grins broadly at the opportunity to talk about his children. "They sure are Lian." The speedster opens his wallet and removes a small photo. "Here you go."

Lian peers at the children in the photograph, she looks amazed. "Wow they're really big! Is it 'cause of the broccoli???"

Wally frowns in confusion. "Broccoli?"

"Yeah. Uncle Connor says you hafta eat your broccoli if you wanna grow up big and strong. They sure must'a ate lots and lots of broccoli." Lian frowns as she contemplates how anyone could eat the horrid vegetable. No matter how big and strong she wants to be, she just can't stand to eat that stuff. "I _hate _broccoli."

Wally grins. "I'm going to arrange with your dad for you guys to come visit when Iris and Jai are over the chicken pox. I told them all about you."

"You did?"

"I sure did." Wally smiles fondly at the little girl as he takes back the photograph. "They'll love to meet you." He tucks the picture back in his wallet and looks up as the waiter approaches. "What are we having?" He asks the five year old.

"Pepperoni and ham with extra cheese but no pepperoni." Lian states confidently.

"A small Canadian bacon with extra cheese?" the waiter asks with a smile.

"That's' it." Wally confirms. "…and I'll take a large supreme."

"Make mine the same but I'll have extra pepperoni and black olives." Dick orders as he settles into a char next to Lian.

"Roy?" Wally asks, as the waiter leaves.

"Seafood." Dick grumbles.

"Daddy's gonna make the fishies moms and dads very sad." Lian says, shaking her head sadly.

Roy suddenly appears and pulls out the remaining seat. "No I won't, because I didn't get fish." he states as he places a take-out container on the table and sits down.

"You didn't?" Lian asks in a curios little voice.

"Nope." Roy opens container, it's full of fresh oysters in the shell. He grins wickedly at Dick and makes a show of eating one slowly, then licks the shell.

Dick shakes his head, "I hope you get sick on them." he says with a laugh.

"You shouldn't scratch Uncle Wally." Lian says, as she watches the speedster with concern. "When I had chicken pox daddy said it wasn't good to scratch the spots."

"Here, slap some more of this on them." Dick hands his friend a bottle of calamine lotion he picked up from the store in town earlier in the morning.

Wally groans and pulls the blanket that's wrapped around him a little tighter. "It doesn't work, it just makes me look like a freaking polka dot parade." He really hopes his super fast metabolism helps him to get over the virus soon.

Lian frowns up at the speedster. "You said a bad word, Uncle Wally."

Dick ruffles Lian's hair and then smiles at Wally. "No good whining about it yet buddy, it's going to get worse you know, the spots have only just started coming out."

"Oh thanks for the sympathy, Wingster." Wally grumbles. He tosses the blanket aside and stands up.

"You're welcome." Dick quips and then looks concerned as Wally grabs his duffle bag "Hey…where are you going?"

"Home. " Wally gripes. Then manages a smile despite his discomfort. "Linda has a better bed-side manner."

Dick smiles. "You mean she puts up with your whining?"

"She loves me." Wally say's as he prepares to leave.

"She sure does. You're a lucky man, West."

"I know. Catch you guy's later." Wally calls back as he disappears.

"Bye, Uncle Wally…don't forget, _no _scratching!" Lian calls, but Wally is long gone. The little girl sighs and turns to look wistfully at the closed bathroom door. "I sure hope daddy comes out soon, he's been in there an awful long time."

"I think he's going to be in there for a bit longer princess." Dick says as he walks over, and bangs on the door "You all right in there Roy?"

is the only reply from within. 

Dick cocks an eyebrow. "I'll take that as a yes."

Lian shakes her head slowly. "I don't think daddy will be eating any more oysters for a long time, Uncle Dick."

"I don't think he'll be eating anything at all for a little while, Lian." Dick replies as he settles down on the sofa.

Lian climbs up beside him and leans against his side. She looks up as Dick wraps an arm around her and gives her a hug.

Dick smiles fondly at the little girl. "So, princess…it seem's like your dad's gonna be a indisposed for a little while, what do you want to do now?"

Lian grins. "Can we go fishing again, Uncle Dick?"

Dick's laugh is warm and relaxed. "Sure, princess, I don't see why not?"

End.


End file.
